And the arms of the ocean are carrying me
by ReesesPieces2112
Summary: Elena finds Rebekkah in Damon's room and her reaction isn't exactly what Damon expected.
1. Sorry

Stefan was leaning up against the doorframe of the boarding house, watching Elena get out of her car and make her way towards him.

"Hey." She sighed. "Can I come in or are you just going to let me freeze here?"

He smirked, moving so she could fit through the door. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to Damon." She said simply, disregarding the look of disappointment that flashed across his face. "Is he home?"

"Yeah." He nodded, leading her upstairs, but stopping right at Damon's door as he remembered a certain blonde haired girl that showed up last night. He turned to Elena. "Um, maybe this should wait."

"Why?" She asked, confused. "Look, I know he's mad because I said some pretty harsh things last night, but I just wanted to apologize." She moved past him and put her hand on the doorknob.

"Elena, wait!" Stefan tried, but she already had the door wide open.

She gasped and turned back around, having found Rebekkah zipping up her dress as Damon stepped out of his bathroom.

Damon shot Stefan a quick glare, who shrugged apologetically and walked back downstairs.

"Um, sorry." Elena mumbled, catching the smirk on Rebekkah's face as she left the room.

"I'll see you later, Damon." She called from downstairs before shutting the door on her way out.

There was an awkward and tense silence as Elena turned back to a half naked Damon. "I, um, came to apologize." She sucked in a huge breath. "But I can see not a word I said last night matters now."

"Elena." Damon practically whispered.

"Anyways." She avoided whatever he was going to say next. "I should get going." She turned on her heel and rushed out; she wasn't going to let him see her cry. She was hurt, she was frustrated, she was angry. She was feeling everything Damon had ever felt every time she was with Stefan, and she finally understood it.

Her heart sank and her stomach dropped, resulting in her giving off shaky breaths as she reached for her car keys in her pocket, trembling as she tried desperately to unlock her car and get out of there.

She felt a gust of air and saw a hand slam her door just as she opened it, trapping her against the car. Even with him so close, she refused to turn and look into his piercing blue eyes.

"What do you want, Damon?" Elena tried her best to keep her voice from cracking, but it was useless because he already knew she was crying.

"You didn't let me explain." He tried wrapping his free hand around her waist.

Before She knew what she was doing, she whirled around and brought her hand down across Damon's face, slapping him, not that it did much damage.

"I don't want your stupid explanation!" She spat then groaned as she grabbed on to the hand she used to strike him.

Damon, enraged, gripped her hand and squeezed, making her whimper in pain. But Elena refused to let him get under her skin this time.

With all her force, she shoved him back, making him stumble with surprise. "I don't want to hear your excuse for sleeping with someone who tried to kill me!"

"You can't come here and get angry at ME when YOU'RE the one who screwed up!" He growled.

She balled her hands into fists, feeling the tears well up again. She saw Damon frown, knowing he crossed a line despite being right. "I hate you!" She huffed, letting the tears fall. "I hate you and I don't want to be around you!"

It wasn't something Damon never heard before, but hearing those words from Elena and seeing that she might actually mean it this time, broke him.

"You don't care about anyone but yourself!" She continued. "You don't care that you hurt me!"

"I care!" He screamed, but she didn't back down.

"No!" She yelled back. "You don't care because you don't actually love me!"

In an instant, Damon had her pushed against the side of her car, squeezing her arms with such force he wouldn't be surprised if he left bruises. He leaned in close, watching her as she drew in a sharp breath. "Don't you EVER, EVER! say that again." He hissed against her lips.

"Let go of me." She demanded, not caring about the pain she felt. "Let go of me or-."

"Or what?" He challenged. "You'll have St. Stefan kick my ass? And maybe after he's done you two will have a nice little snuggle and laugh about it?"

"I don't care about Stefan!" She screeched. "I care about you!"

The smug little smile Damon had on his lips fell away as his grip loosened. "What?"

"Get away from me!" She shoved him back again. "Forget what I just said, Damon! Forget what you feel for me because I definitely plan on forgetting what I feel for you!" She turned back to her car, opened the door and got inside.

Damon watched Elena's car screech out of the driveway of the board house, leaving him with his hands clenched and the worst feeling in the pit of his stomach. He looked over at the doorway and saw Stefan with a small smile on his face, laughing at the fact that Damon blew his only chance to finally be with Elena Gilbert.

* * *

**Not much, but I'm just going to write it as I go along. I just wanna see what you guys think. I'm not sure if the rating will stay T or if I'll change it to M. I don't think I have the writing skills to make it as angsty and tense as other writers can, but I promise I can try (: Let me know if I should keep writing it and what you guys might want to see happen.**


	2. He doesn't care about you

Damon sat at the bar of Mystic Grill, downing a shot of bourbon and grunting as he felt Stefan take a seat next to him.

"Here to gloat?" He asked his brother.

"Kind of." Stefan admitted, ordering a drink.

"Well, go on then."

"What were you thinking?" Stefan chuckled. "Rebekkah? Really?" He shook his head, amused. "Even I wouldn't go so far, brother."

Damon sneered at him. "Why is this MY fault? I'm single, Elena and I aren't together, and she was the one who started it."

"What are you, 7?" Stefan laughed. " 'She started it'." He mocked. "Come on, Damon, you were this close." He held up his hand, his thumb and his first finger inches apart. "This close."

"I don't need a lesson about the Elena do's and don'ts, especially from you!" Damon snapped, swallowing another gulp of bourbon before shoving himself away from the bar and storming out.

"Trouble in paradise before it even starts?" Rebekkah teased, sitting next to Stefan.

"This is your fault." Stefan stated. "If you didn't go whoring around town, none of this would have happened."

Rebekkah rolled her eyes, unwilling to show him how truly hurt she was by his comment. "Please. If Elena just outright admitted that she was attracted to Damon, he wouldn't have chosen to sleep with me."

"Oh, no, no, no." Stefan chuckled. "He didn't SLEEP with you, Rebekkah. He FUCKED you, as in, he didn't really care if you were there when he woke up."

She bit back a growl and opened her mouth to say something, but Stefan got up from his seat and took hold of her chin.

"Remember this." He stared into her eyes. "Damon could have taken any girl home last night, but you were the only one desperate and lonely enough to jump into bed with him." He shoved her chin away roughly and walked out of Mystic Grill.

Rebekkah swallowed the lump in her throat and blinked back her tears, stomping out of the Grill, and catching up to Stefan.

"You mean to tell me that you're okay with your brother moving in on Elena?" She tried getting him angry. "You're absolutely fine with your brother and your ex-girlfriend?"

"It's not my problem anymore, Rebekkah." He fished his keys out of his pocket. "How do you think Klaus will react when he finds out you decided to spend a night with Damon Salvatore?" He smirked at her.

"Nik won't have a problem with it." She snapped at him, raising her chin to show that she was confident in her response.

Stefan grinned, teasing her. "Are you sure about that, princess?" With that, he opened his car door, got in, and sped off, leaving and angry original behind.

Had she been able to find a rock, she would have picked it up and chucked it at his car.

* * *

Elena had been obsessively cleaning, hoping to take her mind off of the scene she had made at the Salvatore house earlier that morning. She truly felt embarrassed that she had let Damon see her lose control over something so stupid.

"_Was it stupid_?" She asked herself. "_Was I really completely in the wrong_?"

"Yes, you were." She heard behind her, making her jump and turn towards it.

"Caroline!" She gasped. "What are you doing sneaking up on me like that?"

"Sorry." Her friend giggled and explained what she was doing there. "Stefan called me after you left the boarding house this morning. Tell me what's going on." She sat on Elena's couch and patted the seat next to her.

Elena sighed and sat down. "What's wrong with me, Caroline?"

"What do you mean?"

"Damon and I aren't together. Why am I freaking out about this?"

"Because it's Rebekkah." Caroline stated as if it were obvious. "She's evil, twisted, and manipulative. She obviously compelled Damon, that's the only way to get someone to sleep with her."

Caroline's voice held much distain for Rebekkah for trying to compel her boyfriend, Tyler and trying to compel her ex-boyfriend Matt.

"Damon seemed like he knew exactly what he was doing." Elena looked down at her hands then let out a frustrated sigh. "I need to get out. I can't stay here all day and think about Damon Salvatore of all people."

Caroline beamed. "Then let's go." She grabbed Elena's arm and rushed her out of the house.

Elena stumbled and nearly tripped as she ran for Caroline's car.

* * *

Stefan had been waiting for Klaus to show up so he could relay the message that Rebekkah had herself a little of Damon. Not that Klaus would normally care about what Rebekkah did, but the situation deeply upset Elena and she practically threatened to leave town and Klaus couldn't risk that happening.

"Well, well, well." Klaus sauntered over to Stefan. "This is…unusual, even for you, Salvatore."

Stefan rolled his eyes. "Rebekkah and Damon slept together."

Klaus grimaced, but shook it off. "Rebekkah's free to do…whatever Rebekkah does. How is that my problem?"

"Well, it's not." Stefan nodded. "But Elena's pretty upset about it."

A wicked smile danced across Klaus' features. "How interesting."

"It won't be when she does something drastic."

Klaus snorted. "Elena's human, there's not much she can do."

"Maybe not to a vampire." Stefan raised his eyebrows. "But she can very lethal…to herself."

Klaus' smile dropped. "And what do you supposed I do about the situation?"

"You keep Rebekkah away from Damon." Stefan warned. "Or else we'll have a huge problem."

Klaus huffed and dug into his pocket, pulling out his phone and dialing Rebekkah's number. Once she answered, he told her to meet him at the Mystic Grill.

As Klaus hung up his phone, he narrowed his eyes at Stefan. "You seem pretty intent on keeping Rebekkah away so your brother and the love of your life can be together."

"This isn't about me, Klaus." Stefan snapped. "It's about keeping Elena safe. That can't happen when your sister's out, offering herself to any man she passes."

Klaus hissed at him. "Never insult my family, Stefan Salvatore, or you will regret it."

"I'm sure I will." He smirked. "Aren't you supposed to be somewhere?" He turned and made his way back to his car, but called over his shoulder. "Remember, the second Rebekkah even sets foot around Damon, Elena won't hold back."

Klaus grit his teeth and clenched his hands before turning and leaving the woods.


	3. Are you okay?

"Whoo!" The crowd cheered as Elena downed another shot of liquor; Caroline had taken her to a bar just outside of town and compelled security to let them in.

Elena laughed as she sat at the bar. "Caroline, this is great." She beamed at her best friend. "This really helped."

"I bet." Caroline smiled. "It's getting late. Maybe we should head home." She suggested.

"Okay." Elena grabbed her purse and jacket before following Caroline out the door, laughing as she got in the passenger side of the car.

"Can you believe how much fun that was?" Elena sighed with content as she looked out the window at the view.

"I'm so glad you had fun." Caroline confessed. "For a second I thought you wouldn't be able to take your mind off of…you know what."

"It's still there." Elena frowned. "I just tried hard not to think about it."

"It's okay, Elena." Caroline reassure, pulling in to town. "Yeah, Damon was right when he said you weren't a couple, but that still doesn't mean it didn't hurt when he slept with Rebekkah."

"But it shouldn't!" Elena turned to her. "I'm not supposed to feel like this for him…am I?"

"We all saw it coming." Caroline pulled up to Elena's house. "Listen, even if you didn't feel anything for Damon, you'd still be feeling betrayed because Rebekkah tried to kill you and Damon knew better."

"Should I talk to him?"

"No!" Caroline objected. "Damon's in the wrong-."

"So am I!" Elena tried.

"Stop defending him!" Caroline huffed. "Elena Gilbert, Damon Salvatore is NOT to be let off the hook for sleeping with the devil!"

"Okay, okay!" Elena put her hands up. "I'll call you tomorrow." She opened her door and got out.

"See yah." Caroline smiled as she drove away.

Elena was making her way to the front door when she turned around and observed her surroundings, feeling as though someone was watching her. She shrugged off the feeling and stepped inside.

* * *

Klaus had been sitting at the Mystic Grill for hours until Rebekkah finally showed up.

"Have trouble finding the place? Or were you off on another evening with Damon Salvatore?" He took a drink of the beer he ordered.

"What is it to you, big brother?" She asked.

"Why are you making trouble for Elena Gilbert?"

Rebekkah rolled her eyes, being tired of hearing about the girl that Klaus cared about so much. "It's fun." She stated, smirking. "Who cares?"

"I care!" He snarled. "And what do you think you're doing running around town with Damon anyways?"

"I'll have you know that Damon invited me to his bed." She glared at him.

"And you just HAD to take his invitation, I assume?"

"Why are you giving me such a hard time about this?"

"Because one, Damon Salvatore used you. He doesn't care for you, Rebekkah. The only person he'll ever care about is Elena. And two, you're not only giving yourself a bad reputation, but the entire original family as well. I'm telling you now, to STOP disgracing our family name so you can play games with Elena." He slammed his hands on the bar as he stood up and left the Grill.

Rebekkah sniffed, wiping away the tears that formed in her eyes; people insulted her often, that was fine, but when it's her own brother, it hurts. She got up and left the Mystic Grill, drawing shaky breaths and feeling her hands shake from the hurt and anger.

In her mind, there was only one person to blame…Elena Gilbert.

* * *

The next morning, Elena stretched on her bed, feeling the sunlight shine through her window. She yawned and got out of bed, starting her morning rituals; brush her teeth, shower, and get ready for the day.

When she was done, she went downstairs and smiled. "Hey, Jer."

"Morning." He mumbled with a mouth full of cereal.

"Where's Ric?" She asked, pouring herself some juice.

"He went out." Jeremy looked her closely. "Are you okay? You've been acting weird since yesterday."

"I'm fine." She lied; having Jeremy know that she was upset would only make him worry, especially since she upset about Damon.

"Whatever you say." He got up from the table and put his bowl in the sink. "When you're ready to talk about it, let me know." He stuck his tongue out at her as he left the kitchen.

She shook her head and laughed lightly, putting her glass cup in the sink. She sighed and put both hands on the sink, replaying the events from yesterday. She wanted to cry all over again; she didn't really hate Damon, but she wasn't sure she could face him again.

"_Why Rebekkah_?" She kept asking herself. "_He wants to rip Klaus_'_ face off every time he comes near me_. _But he's fine with sleeping with a girl who_'_s tried more than once to kill me_."

She jumped as she heard the door fly open. She made her way into the living room, seeing the door wide open.

"Ric?" She called. "Is that you?"

"Not quite." She heard the all too familiar voice, not giving her time to respond before Rebekkah had her pinned against the wall.

* * *

**I know this one's not much, but I don't want to give away too much...unless you guys want me to give you the full chapter, BUT you'll have to wait quite some time for the next one. I know, I'm evil (:**


	4. Just a little something

**Okay, guys. So I'm not sure how many more chapters I've written with this story, but if you wanna throw in some suggestions, I'd appreciate it ha. I've hit a little writers block.**

**I hopefully plan on going a little more than five chapters, but I'll need some more ideas, so please, if you have any, feel free to tell me and if I use it, I will give you 100% credit for it. (:**

**I can't promise I'll use everyone's though ):**

**Anyways, let me know what you guys think and I'll have a new chapter up soon, hopefully.**


	5. Leaving Mystic Falls behind

"Elena?!" Jeremy ran down the stairs. "Hey!" He yelled.

"Jeremy, go!" Elena stopped him from coming towards her and Rebekkah. "Get out of here now!"

Jeremy turned and ran for the back door, but Rebekkah was faster; she slammed Elena against the wall and darted after him, catching him by his shirt and snapping his neck.

With a smirk on her face, she rushed back to Elena, who was still on the ground. She lifted her up by her shirt and slammed her against the wall again, wrapping her fingers around her throat.

"This is all your fault!" She yelled at Elena. "You! You! You! That's all I ever hear and I'm tired of it!"

"Let go of me, Rebekkah!" Elena struggled.

"No!" She shrieked.

Elena finally did something no one would believe unless they were there themselves; She grabbed Rebekkah's hand and wrenched it away from her throat, turning her around and ramming her into the wall as hard as she could. She turned on her heel and made a break for the kitchen, but not before Rebekkah grabbed her wrist, the same one she used to slap Damon the day before, and pulled on it.

Hearing a pop, Elena screamed out in pain and yanked her arm back, falling to the ground.

"Shit!" Elena gasped, kicking at Rebekkah's feet and knocking her down. "_All this training is DEFINITELY not gonna be for nothing_." She thought to herself.

Rebekkah shrieked as she clawed at Elena, ripping her clothes; she finally broke. She lost herself in all the anger and frustration she felt. Klaus had basically called her a slut, Damon only used her to satisfy himself, and Elena was the goody two-shoes that always got off with a simple warning whenever she did something wrong.

Elena looked at Rebekkah as she tried hard to hold her back. She noticed that tears brimmed her eyes and she looked as if she'd gone crazy.

Rebekkah slapped Elena hard across the face, sending her flying into the living room.

She stumbled, but got up and ran around the front of the couch, keeping a distance.

Rebekkah was about to lunge for her again when a gust of wind had her pinned against a near by wall.

Klaus and Damon stood in the doorway as Stefan held Rebekkah in place with his fangs bared and his eyes black.

Elena sighed with relief, until she remembered Jeremy and ran to the kitchen, falling by his body.

"Jeremy!" She shook him gently. "Jeremy!"

"He's fine, Elena." She heard Damon and as if on cue, Jeremy came to, gasping for breath.

"Jer!" She threw her arms around him. "You're okay."

"Yeah." He groaned. "Fine." He looked around. "Is everything okay?"

Elena frowned and pulled back. "Everything's fine. Let's just get you upstairs so you can rest."

* * *

After everyone cleared out of Elena's home; Klaus, dragging Rebekkah out, Stefan leaving after checking to make sure she was okay, which she wasn't. And Damon? She had to push Damon out the door, not wanting to be near him at the moment.

She sat against her bedroom door that night and cried into her hands; Jeremy had been hurt and Elena couldn't do anything to stop it, Rebekkah would stop at nothing to kill her, and she felt like it was her fault; like it could have all been avoided if she just hadn't been so dismissive towards Damon and his feelings for her. To top it all off, she finally realized that all the pent up rage she felt towards Rebekkah and Damon's night together, meant that she was in love with him.

She clutched at her chest, feeling the pain and crying even harder. She finally composed herself enough to crawl over to her bed and wrap herself in her blankets, crying herself to sleep.

* * *

Klaus threw Rebekkah in her room and blocked her every time she tried to leave.

"What are you doing?!" She growled at him.

"The question is, sister, what are YOU doing?! Going after Elena like that, have you lost your mind?!"

"Why does everyone defend her?! A pathetic, little nobody!"

"Not to Damon she's not!" Klaus saw Rebekkah jump back, realizing she had some type of feelings for Damon. He sighed. "Rebekkah, Damon is no good for you, he's no good for anyone. Look at what's happened because of him; you and Elena fighting."

"Elena and I fought well before Damon." She scoffed.

"What made this time so different?"

She looked at him with surprise. "I…I…"

"Exactly. I need Elena ALIVE and that won't happen if you keep insisting on being burden on me and my plans for our family." He walked out of her room and slammed the door behind him.

Rebekkah picked up a pillow and screamed into it before tossing it across the room; she understood that Klaus needed Elena's blood for his hybrids, but what she didn't understand was why he couldn't just drain her so they could take off and leave Mystic Falls behind.

* * *

"Are you going to check on her?" Stefan asked Damon the next day.

"Of course I am." Damon grabbed his jacket.

"I don't think it's a good idea." Stefan shook his head, following him.

"You don't think anything I do is a good idea." Damon opened the door.

"Damon." Stefan called, making his brother stop and look back at him. "Try not to screw up any more than you already have."

Damon smirked and walked over to his car, speeding away after getting in.

Stefan sighed and walked back into the house, making his way up to his room, sitting on his bed, and staring at a picture of him and Elena together. He took the picture out of the frame and ripped it up, believing that his time with Elena was over.

Damon was toxic, but Elena had just what it took to handle him, Stefan knew that. Their attraction for each other was undeniable and he knew better than to stand in the way. Even so, it didn't stop him from shedding a few tears as he realized Elena no longer loved him, but his brother.

He tried time and time again to brush it off, but it was getting to the point where it was unbearable; he figured, in order to love her truly…he had to let her go. He wanted to leave, but leaving only meant hurting her even more. Just because she wasn't in love with him anymore, didn't mean she doesn't still care for him.

* * *

**Meh. Not too much in this chapter. I'm actually not very happy with it, but it's all I could really come up with =/ **

**So what's up with Rebekkah? Crazy, right? xP**


	6. Decisions

Elena set herself in the living room, staring into space and not noticing Ric asking her a question.

"Huh?" She looked at him.

"I said I have to go out to run some errands. Will you be okay here?" He asked, concerned.

"Where's Jeremy gonna be?" She questioned.

"Jeremy went to Matt's for a while. Look, I can stay if you don't want to be alone."

"No." She shook her head. "It's fine, I swear."

"Are you sure?" He grabbed his keys.

She nodded and watched him leave reluctantly.

About an hour had passed when she finally sighed, got off the couch, and started cleaning the mess from yesterday, trying to make it look as decent as possible.

"Damon." She whispered to herself, feeling the tears threatening her eyes again. "Damn it!" She scolded herself. "I didn't even think I could cry anymore!" She wiped her tears away and sprayed the coffee table with furniture polish and wiped it down.

"Elena." Damon whispered behind her, scaring her.

"Damon!" She whirled around and yelled at him, throwing the can of furniture polish in his direction. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I came to see you." He shrugged.

"I said I didn't want to see you anymore. What part of that did you have trouble with?" She glared at him and walked over to the other side of the couch.

"All of it." He smirked at her then let his eyes drift to her wrist that was wrapped in a splint. "Is that from yesterday?"

"What do you care?" She sneered at him, hiding her hand.

"Let me see it." He demanded, darting forward so his body was only inches from hers.

"No."

"No?" He gaped at her. "Elena, I said let me see it." He growled at her.

She turned and darted towards the stairs, only to run smack dab into Damon's chest.

He wrapped his arms around her waist tightly, crushing her to him.

"Damon!" She struggled. "Let go of me!"

"No." He mocked her.

She wiggled around and twisted every which way she could to get out of his hold, but when she found it no use, she bit down hard on his neck, making him gasp from surprise and let go of her.

As she soon as she felt his arms loosen, she ran up the stairs as Damon composed himself and sped up the steps just as she closed her bedroom door in his face.

"Elena!" He hit the door. "Open it or I will, and I don't think you want your door snapped off its hinges!"

"Get the hell out of my house, Damon!" She yelled from the other side.

"Fine. Have it your way." He took a step back and kicked the door open, scanning the room for her.

"Talk to me, Elena." He called out, taking cautious steps around her room. "Tell me what two days ago was all about." He stood up straight and put his hands on his hips. "Better yet, get your ass out of the bathroom because I know you're in there."

After a few minutes, Damon sighed and walked into the bathroom, expecting to find Elena behind the door, but was taken aback when he realized she wasn't.

"Elena." He called, walking back out of the bathroom. "Elena, seriously." He was starting to get worried; he knew she was in the house, but he couldn't hear her heartbeat.

"Elena!" He was frustrated, running to the open window to see if she managed to climb out of it.

He grunted as he fell to the floor; Elena had come up behind him and jumped on his back with a wooden stake in her hand.

She straddled him as her breath came out in huffs. "Leave before I kill you." She warned.

Damon smirked up at her. "You really think you can?"

She glared at him. "I think I could have if I hadn't knocked you to the ground first."

"Is that so?"

"You couldn't find me."

"You managed to throw me off, I'll give you that." Damon was amused. "But that's all you really did."

She threw her arm in the air and brought it down, not really caring at that point if she didn't miss her intended target.

Damon grabbed her arm and sat up, pushing her back on the hardwood floor and throwing the stake across the room. "My, my, Elena." He purred, leaning down and tracing the outline of her jaw with his nose. "Aren't we getting a little brave?"

Elena clenched her uninjured hand into a fist. "Get off of me, Damon. Now!"

He chuckled, kissing around her neck lightly. "Make me."

She had become so lost in the situation that she didn't hear him. "What?"

"The house was a mess yesterday, Ms. Gilbert. I highly doubt it happened by Rebekkah simply flinging you across the room. You've been training, Elena, I know you put it to good use." He bit her neck lightly, making her arch her back into him. "Now make me."

Elena sighed heavily, bracing her hands against his chest and pushing him as hard she possibly could, throwing him off of her and standing up. "Damn it, Damon! Don't you ever get tired of being the asshole?!"

"No, Elena, I don't!" He sneered, walking towards her. "Don't YOU ever get tired of putting the Salvatore brothers through your emotional whiplash?! One day, it's Stefan. The next day, it's me. When, Elena?! When are you going to wake up and realize you can't have both?!"

"I don't want both!" She swiped at him with her good arm, trying to punch him, but he grabbed her. "Right now, Damon…I don't want either of you."

"Fine." He released her. "If that's what you want, Elena, but remember…you don't get to decide this today, then turn around and want to be in Stefan's arms tomorrow."

Damon turned to leave, fully intending on packing up and getting the hell out of town as soon ash he got home; there was no more sticking around to see if Elena would some day say she loved him back, that was done with. He wasn't going to wait to see if he could have the one thing he's wanted for so long…because he wasn't sure if he could handle one more rejection. He was sure it would happen; Elena always chose Stefan, even if he didn't choose her.

He felt his leather jacket being tugged on and before he could register what was happening, Elena smashed her lips against his and tangled her fingers in his hair.

Elena took in deep breaths in between the intense kisses being exchanged between her and Damon, who squeezed the side of her hips and made her gasp.

Damon wasted no time in pushing his tongue into her mouth, inhaling deeply and bunching up her shirt in his hands.

After what seemed like forever, Elena pulled away, gathering as much air in her lungs as she kept her eyes closed.

There was nothing but silence as they held each other for a while; Damon would have spoke, but the fear of what she might say kept him from doing so. Instead, he was perfectly content with the way they were.

It wasn't until Elena whispered those three words he longed to hear ever since he realized there was more to her than being a pawn in his little scheme to get at Stefan, that Damon let out a long deep breath, as if he were dreaming and he never wanted to wake up.

"Say it again." He pleaded. "Please?"

"I love you, Damon." Elena kissed him again and pulled away. "I get it now, all of it. All the fighting about Stefan…I understand. You love me and I kept pushing you away and it wasn't fair, I know that. I knew it the second you said it at the party. I couldn't bring myself to say that I loved you too because I found you with Rebekkah… and I thought I lost my chance."

"It will always be you, Elena." Damon whispered. "I could never love anyone like I love you."

* * *

**Meh. Kinda lame chapter, I think. I don't know if you guys will like it, but if you do, that's great :D**

**I'm very critical of my work xD**


	7. You don't know where she is!

"Damon!" Elena squealed three weeks later; she had just finished school for the day and on her way to his car, Damon had lifted her up and spun her around.

"Hello, you." He set her down and kissed her, ignoring the glare he got from Bonnie and Stefan from across the way.

"Ugh, must you be so…couple-y?" Caroline rolled her eyes playfully as she tried distracting Elena from Bonnie's disapproving looks.

"Yes, yes we do." Elena stuck her tongue out at her.

"Hmm. Where to today?" Damon asked.

"Oh, actually, Caroline and I needed to go to the library to do some research." She smiled apologetically.

"Yeah, that's right." Caroline linked arms with her, teasing Damon. "I'm stealing her away today, so ha!" She pulled Elena over to her car.

Elena waved at Damon, shouting that she'd call him later. He smiled and replied with, "Good luck with vampire Barbie!"

She laughed as Caroline dragged her into the car and sped out of the parking lot.

* * *

It was late by the time Caroline and Elena had left the library.

"Ugh, I'm starving." Elena complained, hearing her stomach grumble.

"That makes two of us." Caroline giggled. "Let's stop by the Grill and pick something up?"

"Yeah." Elena agreed, following her to the car. She turned and looked around them, feeling eyes on her once again.

"What's wrong?" Caroline's voice was filled with concern.

"Don't you feel that?" Elena questioned. "Like someone's…watching us?"

Caroline took the time to observe the darkness that surrounded them, looking in every corner and down the street. "I don't see anything. Maybe we should just get out of here."

Elena nodded and opened her door, but the window busted open, making her scream with surprise.

"Elena!" Caroline screamed rushing over to her, but got thrown back by a blur of messy blonde hair.

"Rebekkah." Elena croaked. "I should have known."

"You may have caught me by surprise last time, Elena, but I can assure you that won't happen again."

"What do you want?" Elena took a few steps back.

Rebekkah smirked. "I want you to pay. You've been a pain in my ass for far too long, Elena Gilbert, and I think your final death is well past due." She darted forward, grabbing Elena and disappearing.

When Caroline came to, she immediately panicked, remembering what had happened and realizing that Elena was gone.

* * *

"What do you mean, you don't know where she is?!" Damon and Stefan yelled at Caroline.

"We were attacked!" She shouted. "Now, are you going to stand there and lecture me or are you going to help me find Elena?!"

"We need Klaus." Stefan said.

"You're serious?" Caroline looked at him incredulously.

"No, he's right." Damon picked up his phone, dialing Klaus' number. "If anyone can find her, it's him."

They were already on their way out the door by the time Klaus answered his phone. After explaining the situation, Klaus didn't hesitate to meet up with them to turn the town upside down if they had to, anything to find Elena and fast.

"You have absolutely no clue as to who could have taken her?" Klaus asked Caroline.

She shook her head, crying for the tenth time. "It all happened so fast."

Stefan observed Damon closely; for someone who had just gotten the girl he'd been pinning over for months, he sure didn't seem too worried about her.

Truth was, Damon was panicking more than he let show. If Elena got hurt and he couldn't find her in time, he'd never forgive himself.

"This town is filled with people that want her dead." He stated. "Where the fuck are we even supposed to start?"

"What about Bonnie?" Stefan suggested. "She could use a locator spell, find Elena, and we can save her."

"Let's do it." Klaus agreed, dashing away with Caroline, Stefan, and Damon following.

* * *

"Damon?" Elena mumbled, waking up from being knocked out.

"Take another guess." Rebekkah taunted.

When Elena fully regained her vision and her sense of surrounding, she looked down and saw herself tied to a chair. She struggled to break free from the bonds, but it was no use.

"Jesus, Rebekkah, why are you doing this?" Her breath was shaky.

"Because you're a bitch." Rebekkah stated as if it were obvious. "You need to learn that not every one can love you, Elena."

"What are you talking about? I never expected that."

"No?" Rebekkah pursed her lips. "Then why were you so quick to assume that Stefan would just…be okay with you dating his brother? Because he still loves you. Haven't you noticed?"

Elena tried to hard to find the answer, but she knew Rebekkah was right; she never actually thought to talk it out with Stefan because he never exactly said that he wanted to get back together with her.

Rebekkah laughed. "Poor, sweet, innocent Elena. You're so wrapped up in yourself that you don't even notice the people you hurt."

"That's not true!" Elena snapped at her, yelling in pain as Rebekkah slapped her hard across the face.

"Don't take that tone of voice with me." She warned, grabbing a knife and playing with it. "Now then, tell me, Elena, you honestly didn't notice the sad look on Stefan's face after he found out you were together? You didn't see Bonnie's reaction when you told her? She hates Damon, Elena, absolutely loathes him. And yet, you have no problem being with him, as if your friendship with her doesn't matter."

"It matters." Elena spat out blood; the force from Rebekkah's hit caused her to bite her lip.

"Hm." Rebekkah scoffed. "Then why are you still with him? Do you really love him more than your own friend?" She took the blade and dragged it along Elena's arm.

* * *

**Credit for the idea of Rebekkah torturing Elena like she did to Damon goes to *drum roll* Delenaluver! **

**You were a great help. Really helped me get out of my writers block (:  
**


	8. Getting help

She screamed and jerked in her chair, letting tears fall as her skin stung. "Please? Stop it."

Rebekkah watched her blood drip into the bucket beneath the arm of the chair. "No, I don't think I will. This is just too much fun."

Elena whimpered as she started making small cuts here and there, making huge gashes on her forearms and nicking her neck.

"It's time to die, Elena." Rebekkah smiled innocently. "It's time for Mystic Falls to be rid of the biggest pest there is."

"What is this really about?" Elena asked her suddenly. "Because you hate me…or because you actually wanted to be with Damon?"

Rebekkah's smiled dropped. "I don't care for Damon."

"Really?" Elena panted. "Because out of everyone you could have slept with that night, you chose him."

Rebekkah bared her fangs and drew her arm high in the air and, just as she was about to plunge the knife into Elena's chest, she was thrown against the wall.

"Elena!" Damon began untying her. "Elena, hey." He cupped her face gently and made her look him in the eye. "Hey, look at me. Don't fall asleep, okay?"

She tried hard to nod, but the loss of blood only made her eyelids heavier.

Damon looked around and saw Caroline holding Klaus back as Stefan pinned Rebekkah against the wall and gnawed at her neck.

He picked Elena up bridal style and carried her out of the wooden shack Rebekkah had held her at. "Baby, you have to stay with me, okay?" He whispered to her.

"Damon." She mumbled, drawing in long breaths and only giving off short ones.

He put her in the car and drove away from all the chaos going on just a mile back. "It's okay, Elena. We're gonna get you help, okay?"

* * *

When Elena opened her eyes, she was surprised to find herself in Damon's room. She looked around and saw IV's filled with blood attached to her arm. Remembering what happened, she tried sitting up quickly, only to be pushed back down gently.

"Hey." Damon whispered, moving the hair from her face. "How are you feeling?"

"What's going on?" She questioned.

"I brought you back here after we found you." He kissed the top of her head. "You were out for a couple of days."

"And Ric?" She panicked. "Jeremy? Caroline? Bonnie? Did Rebekkah get to them?"

"No." He shook his head, calming her down. "Stefan…Stefan killed Rebekkah."

"He did?" She whispered. "But Klaus…"

"Klaus left." He sighed, lying next to her carefully. "He'll be back, but for now, he's gone."

"I love you, Damon." She said, as if she were saying it for the first time.

"I love you too." He whispered.

"Did you…did you give me your blood?"

He nodded. "I know you hate the idea, but it was the only way-."

His sentence was cut short when she cupped his face and pulled him close, kissing him passionately.

She could feel how surprised he was but he didn't pull away for a few seconds. After he leaned his forehead against hers, she said. "I love you so much, Damon, you'd probably get tired of hearing it." She smiled lightly, tracing his jaw gently with her fingers.

He closed his eyes and gave her a genuine smile. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing it."

"Thank you." She pecked his lips. "For saving me."

"Don't thank me." He frowned. "I don't know what would have happened if we hadn't-."

"Don't." She stopped him. "Don't do that to yourself. You can't ask yourself 'what if?' You saved me, I'm here now, with you and that's that."

Damon took her hand and laced their fingers together, looking at her softly. "Are you hungry?"

She nodded lightly and felt herself being lifted off the mattress. She wrapped her arms tight around Damon's neck as he carried her downstairs.

"Elena?" She heard.

Elena gave Stefan a slight smile. "Hey."

"How are you feeling?" He set his drink down and walked up to them. He was glad to see she was okay, but he still felt a pang of jealousy shoot through him when he saw her in Damon's arms.

"I'm okay." She nodded. "Thank you for…" She would have finished her sentence but it wasn't exactly something they wanted to relive.

"There's no need to thank me, Elena." He frowned.

"There is…because without you and Damon…I wouldn't be here." She leaned her head against Damon's shoulder as he turned and made his way into the kitchen.

* * *

"Elena!" Bonnie ran up to her a few days later, hugging her tightly. "Thank God you're okay."

Elena hugged her back. "It's so good to see you."

They were at the Grill; Elena had called Bonnie to meet for lunch because she wanted to talk to her.

"Can I ask you something?" She sat across from Bonnie, who nodded.

"Sure, what is it?"

"Are you mad at me…about Damon?" Elena looked down at her thumbs and played with them.

"No." Bonnie sighed. "I just…It's Damon, Elena. He's always been so-."

"Hard to handle." Elena nodded. "I know. But when I'm with him, he just…he's different. He's not brooding and intense, he's sweet and caring. I can't explain how or when I fell for him, Bonnie…but I did."

Bonnie smiled slightly. "I understand. I really do, I'm just used to you and Stefan. It's been you guys for so long that it really took everyone by surprise when you told us you were with Damon."

"I still love Stefan." She admitted. "But I'm not IN love with him anymore. I still care about him, but I can't see myself with him like I used to."

Bonnie nodded, taking a drink of her soda.

The afternoon went by so quickly that they hadn't even noticed when it got to be almost 9 o'clock.

"I'll see you later." Bonnie was still laughing as they stepped out of the Mystic Grill.

"Definitely." Elena nodded eagerly and walking over to her car.

"Elena." Someone whispered behind her, making her jump and scream.

* * *

**hmmmmm...Not sure if I completely like this chapter. Maybe it's just me. I tend to criticize myself a lot. Tell me what you think? (:**


	9. Worth it

A hand clamped over Elena's mouth and a deep chuckle had her rolling her eyes and elbowing her boyfriend in the stomach.

"Damon!" She hissed at him.

He laughed and wrapped his arms around her waist. "How was lunch with Bonnie?"

"Good." She smiled up at him. "And how did you spend your afternoon?"

"You know." He shrugged. "Trapped inside the house with nothing but boring St. Stefan."

"Hmmm." Elena narrowed her eyes at him. "You didn't bother him, did you?"

"Of course not." He smiled in a way that made it hard to tell if he was lying or not. "Now, can we please get out of here?"

She rolled her eyes playfully and kissed him before they got into her car and drove to the boarding house.

* * *

Stefan woke up the next morning after listening to a night of Elena and Damon rolling around in bed all night; Damon had been tickling and biting on Elena's neck and she couldn't help but giggle.

All of their "foreplay" eventually turned into something more. Stefan had pressed his pillow against his face to hopefully muffle the sound of Elena's moans and Damon's small little laughs. He could practically hear the blood rushing to Elena's cheeks as she tried to hide the sounds of pleasure, but Damon would revel in it and make her call his name louder.

"It's been eight weeks." Stefan said to himself. "How could they POSSIBLY be so…physical?"

He sighed and got out of bed, getting dressed. He walked out of his room and knocked on Damon's door.

"Damon!" He called. "Get up. Elena and I have school." He waited for a few minutes, but heard nothing.

He groaned and walked back to his room, into the bathroom and back over to Damon's room. He kicked the door open and threw a bucket of cold water on the sleeping couple.

"What the hell?!" Damon growled, glaring at Stefan.

Stefan smirked, not caring that he had just woken Elena with freezing water in the middle of winter. "Morning, brother."

"What are you doing?" Damon stood up from the bed and looked down at his wet pants. "I. am going. to kill you." He grit his teeth.

"I'm sure you will." Stefan laughed. "I just thought Elena would like to get up and get ready for school."

"You know what?" Damon smirked. "I still love you, brother." He spread his arms out. "Let me give you a hug."

"Get away from me!" Stefan yelled, darting downstairs with Damon following.

Elena laughed as she stood up from Damon's bed, wringing out her hair and listening to all the commotion downstairs from the two brothers fighting. She grabbed a towel, a change of clothes, and stepped into Damon's shower.

* * *

"Damon!" Elena whined as he refused to let her go. "I'm going to be late for school."

"So, be late." He mumbled into her neck, kissing it.

"Let's go." Stefan sighed, walking to his car and getting in.

"Goodbye, Damon." Elena laughed, pulling away and kissing him before making her way to Stefan's car and getting into the passenger side.

Damon watched the car screech out of the driveway and rolled his eyes, knowing it was Stefan's way of throwing a fit.

In the car, Elena and Stefan were quiet, neither really knowing what to say. She reached over and turned on the radio.

"So." Stefan cleared his throat. "I hear, uh, you and Damon are doing well."

Elena blushed at his mention of "hearing" they were doing good. She knew he was in the house last night, but Damon was…convincing.

"We are." She confirmed. "And you? How have you been?"

"I've been better." He mumbled bitterly as they reached the school parking lot. He opened his door roughly and got out of the car, slamming it behind him.

"Stefan!" Elena called, getting out of his car and jogging up to him. "Stefan, this isn't fair."

"Fair?!" He snorted. "I'll tell you what's not FAIR, Elena. You being with my brother after we-."

"After we what?!" She cried. "After you broke up with me?! After you left town then came back and did whatever Klaus told you to?! Or maybe after we broke your sire to Klaus, but you STILL kept your humanity turned off!"

Stefan looked at her in surprise. He grabbed her shoulders gently. "Listen to yourself, Elena. This isn't you."

"It's not?" She glared at him, pushing him away. "Maybe you don't know me, Stefan. Maybe you wasted half your time treating me like a child, like I couldn't make my own decisions!"

"The decisions you made would have gotten you killed!" He yelled, thankful the parking lot was practically empty. "You think Damon, of all people, is going to keep you safe?!"

"I don't think." She sneered. "I KNOW."

"Damon can only put you in more danger." Stefan shook his head. "I just don't understand. Why him?"

"Because." Her voice went soft. "Stefan, you NEVER trusted me with the secrets from your past because you were afraid of what I'd think. Damon…he told me everything. He TRUSTED me, Stefan. He didn't care what I thought because by the end of it all…he knew I would still love him. I'm sorry that things turned out the way they did, but I really do hope you can forgive me and your brother one day. Because, believe it or not, he cares about you. We both do."

Stefan simply turned and walked away from her without saying a word.

She sighed heavily; things would only get worse before they got better. Maybe one day, they could all get past this. No, they could never go back to normal, or what seemed normal anyway. It would be a long, emotional ride, but she knew in the end it would be worth it.


	10. Guilt

Damon had just gotten out of the shower, it had to have been the longest he had taken in years; the thought of Elena and Stefan alone together in a car made him worry. Even when Elena said she loved him, he still feared Stefan would be able to weave his way back into her heart.

He loved his little brother, after everything that's happened in the hundred or so years they've spent as vampires, he still loved him. He would do anything to protect Stefan and make sure he'd still be alive at the end of the day.

Damon felt guilt for putting his brother through the worst times. He had killed his best friend, he had blame him for Katherine's death, and now…he stole the person he loved most. That was something Damon would _never _feel guilty about; feeling happiness with the girl who had annoyed him, defied him, but loved him endlessly.

He examined himself in the bathroom mirror, smirking at the scratches Elena had left on his shoulders. He had never actually thought she'd be so…rough.

"_Stefan must have treated her like she was a porcelain doll_." He thought to himself then shook away any thought of Elena and Stefan in bed together.

After getting dressed, or at least half dressed in Damon's case, He ran the towel over his head. It was about one in the afternoon and boredom got the best of him.

He parked his car in the school parking lot and actually went in through the front office so people wouldn't think he was trying to hurt anyone. He rolled his eyes as he was given a guest pass, thinking it would just be easier to sneak into the school and compel the staff. He smirked, waving goodbye to the ladies in the front office; he went through all this trouble for one reason…Elena. If he had done it his way, she would only be disappointed that he couldn't use the rules for once.

"Damon?" Caroline asked, walking up to him. "What are you doing here? Did you come to spy on Elena? Do you not trust her?" She bombarded him with questions.

"No, Barbie." He rolled his eyes. "I'm not here to spy on my girlfriend, I just came to visit her."

Carline narrowed her eyes at him. "Why don't I believe you?"

"Can you just tell me where she is?" He sighed, not wanting to deal with Caroline.

"In the cafeteria with Bonnie and Jeremy."

"Thanks." He gave her a sarcastic smile. "Now, wasn't that easier than ambushing me with ridiculous questions?"

She scoffed and walked away from him, leaving him rolling his eyes once more before going to the cafeteria.

"Damon!" He caught the brunette haired girl in his arms and spun her around.

"What are you doing here?" Elena smiled up at him.

"I was bored." He stated, walking her back to the table she sat at with Bonnie and Jeremy.

She giggled and didn't take her eyes off him. With him there, Elena had become the envy of half the girls at school, mainly because she had dated _both _Salvatore brothers while other girls couldn't even get their attention.

"Hi, Damon." Bonnie tried her best to be civil; she hated him, but if her best friend was willing to give him a chance, then she would too.

"Hello, Bonnie." He gave her a small nod, sitting beside Jeremy with Elena in his lap.

The four of them had managed to start an amusing conversation, laughing and joking around. Bonnie had actually been the one to start all of it when she teasingly asked Damon how long it took to get his hair to look the way it did, after Elena had brought up the fact that he had once taken almost an hour to get ready for their date.

"This doesn't just happen." He smiled at Elena, reaching down and kissing her lightly.

Bonnie, Jeremy, and Elena laughed again, not noticing Stefan from across the cafeteria.

Damon knew he was there, he sensed him the second he walked in and, for a second, thought he should go home instead. But when he caught sight of Elena and the smile on her face when she ran up to him, made him forget Stefan even went to the same school.

* * *

"You got kind of quiet at lunch." Elena stated, unwrapping her scarf from her neck and throwing it on Damon's bed.

"Sorry." He apologized impulsively without realizing she wasn't actually accusing him of anything.

"What do you mean 'sorry'?" She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Do you have something to be sorry for?"

He stared into her eyes, contemplating whether or not he should tell her his feelings about the entire situation. He sighed and smiled at her. "Nope, nothing." He decided against it because he wasn't going to risk her taking it the wrong way and running from him.

"I love you." He cupped her face and kissed her.

"I love you too." She smiled against his lips. "But I have to meet Bonnie and Caroline soon."

"Noooo." Damon whined.

"Yes." She laughed, pulling away from him. "I'll be back tonight." She kissed his cheek, grabbed a change of clothes, and walked into his bathroom.

Twenty minutes later, Damon waved as Elena's car disappeared from the driveway.

"Why don't you save her the trouble of having to find out who you really are, Damon?" He heard Stefan. "Eventually, she'll figure out that you're not everything she needs."

"I wouldn't take relationship advice about Elena from you, brother." Damon faced him, knowing that it was only a matter of time before a showdown with his little brother would happen. "If you can recall, I'm with Elena now and you're…not."

"You're going to hurt her, Damon." Stefan crossed his arms. "You're going to take her down a road, she'll never be able to come back from."

"I'm not making her doing anything." Damon snapped. "She knows what I'm like, Stefan. She knows I'm trouble and that I attract trouble. But it wouldn't matter because at the end of all of it, she'd still love me."

"You-."

"No!" Damon balled his fists. "I'm not listening to this anymore, brother. I get that you're hurt, I know that feeling all to well, Stefan, but I am not letting go of Elena. I know you want to leave because it kills you inside to see us together, I wanted to leave too. But know this, if you leave, I don't you saying anything to her. I won't let you make her feel guilty for finally choosing someone she knows she'd be happy with."

"I'm not leaving." Stefan reassured. "I'm staying because I don't want to hurt her either."

"Klaus was right when he said neither of us are good for her. But I'm going to prove him wrong, Stefan. Elena's mine and I have no intention of giving her up any time soon."

"But she will." Stefan nodded. "Because you're you, Damon. You would ruin it, just like you always do."

Damon smirked. "Oh, dear little brother, you don't know how wrong you are. As much as I wish this wouldn't tear us apart, I know it will. The difference being that I'd have Elena and you'd have no one."

Stefan shook his head and walked away from his brother; he knew Damon was right. In the end, Elena would be forced to choose again…and she'd choose Damon, no matter how close he was with her. He loved her, but it really was time he let her go.


End file.
